ILM - Industrial Light Magic is hiring

Matte Painter

Contract
Hybrid in Vancouver, Canada

This role is considered Hybrid, which means the employee will work 2-3 days onsite at a Company designated location and occasionally from home.


Position Summary

We are looking for a talented and collaborative artist to join our Environments team. As a Digital Matte Painter, you will create striking digital environments that support the storytelling and visual style of our feature animation projects. Working under the guidance of the Environment Supervisor or Matte Painting Lead, you’ll craft digital matte paintings that blend seamlessly into the animated world, using a mix of painted, photographic, and rendered CG elements.


If you thrive in a creative, collaborative environment and enjoy combining artistic vision with technical skill, this could be the opportunity for you. We value diversity and welcome artists from all backgrounds and experiences to bring their unique perspectives to our films.


What You’ll Do

  • Create high-quality digital matte paintings and set extensions that align with the film’s art direction and maintain stylistic consistency across shots and sequences.
  • Integrate 2D and 3D elements with a strong understanding of composition, color, light, and atmosphere to achieve visually compelling and cohesive environments.
  • Collaborate closely with Environment, Lighting, and Compositing teams to ensure that matte paintings integrate seamlessly into the final shots.
  • Translate concept art and visual development materials into production-ready environments that reflect the story’s tone and mood.
  • Maintain continuity and visual consistency across sequences while adapting to creative feedback and evolving direction.
  • Troubleshoot technical and artistic challenges independently, while seeking guidance and sharing solutions across departments.
  • Proactively communicate progress with production and supervisors, ensuring that deadlines and creative goals are met.
  • Research and gather visual references to support environment design, composition, and lighting.
  • Participate in reviews and contribute to a positive, collaborative team dynamic.


What We’re Looking For

  • Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Digital Art, Computer Graphics, or related field; or equivalent experience.
  • Minimum 3 years of production experience in matte painting, environment creation, or related disciplines within feature animation.
  • Proficiency with Photoshop and Nuke.
  • Good knowledge of 3dsMax, Maya, or Houdini (with VRay or RenderMan).
  • Familiarity with Gaea, SpeedTree, ZBrush, or Substance Painter, or Linux-based pipelines is a plus.
  • Strong understanding of lighting, color theory, atmosphere, and composition within a stylized or cinematic animated context.
  • Ability to create artwork that blends with the unique aesthetic and visual style of an animated feature.
  • Excellent problem-solving and time management skills; able to adapt under shifting priorities and tight deadlines.
  • Strong collaboration and communication skills; open to feedback and eager to contribute to a team-oriented environment.
  • Desire to grow professionally within the studio.


As part of your application please include a current resumé, demo reel, art portfolio and shot breakdown.

For over thirty years, Industrial Light and Magic, a division of Lucasfilm Ltd., has set the standard for visual effects and in the process, created some of the most stunning images in the history of film. Founded by George Lucas in 1975 to create the special effects for his space epic Star Wars, today, ILM features the largest and most advanced digital effects pipeline in the entertainment industry. ILM's ability to merge photo-realistic digital images with live-action footage is unmatched in the film industry and with cutting edge work for blockbusters such as Transformers, Iron Man, Avatar, and Star Trek ILM continues to break new ground.
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